In her book Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses, author Ginny Kubitz Moyer asks:
How does God speak to you? If you’re like most of us, it’s not through a mystical experience or a shimmering vision or a bolt of lightning. When I sit down for evening prayer and think about where I encountered God during the day, my list usually ends up looking a lot like this:
- God was in the mysteriously beautiful lifting of the fog over the hills on the morning commute.
- God was in the conversation with my mom, when she said those encouraging words I needed to hear.
- God was in the spontaneous kiss I got from my son, his little body standing on tiptoe to reach my cheek.
- God was in the taste of fresh homegrown tomatoes, an unexpected gift from a neighbor.
- God was in the sound of the kids playing soccer on the front lawn.
- God was in the smell of the wood smoke that greeted me as I got out of the car from my late-night visit to the grocery store, a smell that made me think of warmth and family.
In other words, God speaks to me not in mystical, abstract ways but through the stuff of daily life. And like any expert communicator, God speaks to me using the language I know best—the language of the five senses.
Listen for God speaking to you through the language of the senses and join Ginny for an online retreat exploring each of the five senses.
Each weekly segment of Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses will begin with a reflection on one of the senses and then lead you through an Examen-style prayer and conclude with a suggestion for action to practice the ideas of the retreat in the week to come.
This simple format will help you to encounter God, not only as you practice your faith but also as you participate in the “messy splendor” of daily life.
For additional reflection with Ginny on the senses, read her book Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses.
Introduction
Our Five Senses and Being Fully Alive